Theming Bonuses

[Stalker0]

Theming is one area of the game that I pretty much completely ignore right now. I click "Swap and Optimize" perodically, and that's about it. But I thought it was time to understand this area a bit better. So I could use some tips on ways to optimize theming.

I know off the bat, at minimum 2 Literatures will theme the amphitheater, which I believe gives +4 tourism and +4 culture....plus another +2 culture (also if someone could explain the UI I'd appreciate it, I've never really understood what the active theming bonus means vs the numbers off to the side of the works).

 

[CrazyG]

I haven't checked this patch yet, but last patch "Swap and Optimize" did not swap.

Amphitheaters are easy, just two of your own writing works. So are museums and broadcast towers.
Oxford is themed by works from different civs and eras, which is pretty doable but you have to manually swap.

Parthenon is easy, as tradition you might already have the great work done.


After those my memory isn't clear. My experience is the really complex themeing bonuses from wonders are only a little bit better than the basic ones, like amphitheaters.

 

[Doormat123]

I actually pay pretty close attention to theming, because some of them give bonuses to things other than just tourism as well.

From what I recall, the number off to the side is just the bonus for tourism, while active theming bonus shows all the bonuses. For example, if you theme Sistine Chapel, I believe you get +6 faith on top of the tourism bonus; if you theme Oxford, you get +6 science on top of the tourism bonus, etc. Usually the bonuses from wonders are better than just regular buildings, so I usually try to theme them first. For that reason, I try to build all my wonders in my capital since that means the great works can't be stolen.

Some of that may not be 100% correct since I don't have the game pulled up right now, but feel free to ask anything else as well.

 

[Vuffster]

Amphitheaters are easy, just two of your own writing works. So are museums and broadcast towers.

I haven't played for a while, but unless something's changed recently, museums actually depend on era as well. You can get "Museum of German Art", which is good, or "Museum of Renaissance German Art", which is better. Artifacts work the same way; you can have "Museum of World Warfare" or "Museum of Classical World Warfare". The good thing is that museums are very flexible; they give you a decent bonus for matching domestic or foreign, plus a better bonus once you match eras as well. (I can't recall whether matching eras while mixing domestic and foreign gives you a bonus, but it might.)

After those my memory isn't clear. My experience is the really complex themeing bonuses from wonders are only a little bit better than the basic ones, like amphitheaters.

I actually pay pretty close attention to theming, because some of them give bonuses to things other than just tourism as well.

From what I recall, the number off to the side is just the bonus for tourism, while active theming bonus shows all the bonuses. For example, if you theme Sistine Chapel, I believe you get +6 faith on top of the tourism bonus; if you theme Oxford, you get +6 science on top of the tourism bonus, etc. Usually the bonuses from wonders are better than just regular buildings, so I usually try to theme them first.

I'd have to look at this again, but from what I recall:

• Theming bonuses in general give both additional tourism and additional culture, the latter of which is helpful even if you aren't going for a cultural victory.
• Themed wonders give a similar amount of tourism and culture as a themed building with the same number of great works. I'll check next time I play, but I remember it being exponential: +4 for 2 works, +8 for 3, +16 for 4 (the Louvre only). Amphitheatres may only give +2, though, thinking about it.
• Wonders have an additional theming bonus of their own, which is usually significant, at least for the era in which you build the wonder. Hovering over the "+x" off to the side should show everything.

In general, if you're trying to improve your play:

• Don't forget about GP purchases, when available. Sometimes buying a Great Artist or Musician during the right era is exactly what you need to theme Uffizi or Broadway. (I can't recall whether the era of the work is determined by when the GP is born or when the work is created; if the latter, delaying GP use is another tactic.)
• Try to get enough artifacts to fill your museums (plus the Louvre, if you build it), freeing up your artwork for display in wonders. Obviously, this is easier if you're playing tall.
• Playing Tradition often means you're short on Great Writers, but Hidden Antiquity sites can give you the additional works you need, so don't slow down too much on Archaeology even if you've filled your museums.

 

[lunker]

I also don't pay attention to theming most of the time. On a tourism run I tried to manually optimize things but I just found the experience to be underwhelming. There's very limited means of getting foreign Great Works and the AI doesn't seem keen on trading a lot of the time (haven't played the recent version though). Usually the only foreign GW's I get are artifacts from some city state. The bonuses are usually only a few points here and there, even on wonders, and I'm usually left feeling something like "why bother".

It also doesn't help that I forgot where to look at a building's specific theming requirements. IIRC it isn't exactly something you can conveniently do.

 

[Vuffster]

I also don't pay attention to theming most of the time. On a tourism run I tried to manually optimize things but I just found the experience to be underwhelming. There's very limited means of getting foreign Great Works and the AI doesn't seem keen on trading a lot of the time (haven't played the recent version though). Usually the only foreign GW's I get are artifacts from some city state. The bonuses are usually only a few points here and there, even on wonders, and I'm usually left feeling something like "why bother".

It's too bad a lot of people seem to feel this way; I really enjoy gathering all the great works and trying to theme them, even if the bonuses aren't always impressive. I don't think I've played the more recent versions in which trading is more difficult, so that's a factor I haven't had to deal with, though.

It also doesn't help that I forgot where to look at a building's specific theming requirements. IIRC it isn't exactly something you can conveniently do.

I'm not sure whether it's in the Civilopedia anywhere, but they're all listed if you hover over the "+x" next to a building on the theming screen.

 

[Thibix Magnus]

Is trading great works now harder? Like related to the diplomatic relations?

also, a shame no civilization has a theming focus anymore, it was a fun way to learn the mini game

 

[tu_79]

Is trading great works now harder? Like related to the diplomatic relations?

also, a shame no civilization has a theming focus anymore, it was a fun way to learn the mini game

It's harder, yes. Now you have to offer one of your works first if you want to swap it with others, and the swap is to be made the next turn, or so I heard.

 

[Heinz_Guderian]

It's harder, yes. Now you have to offer one of your works first if you want to swap it with others, and the swap is to be made the next turn, or so I heard.

I dont think so? That's not how it worked for me. I got them instantly

 

[crdvis16]

Yeah I have no problem trading great works in the current patch. The AI gives pieces up for trade just fine. I do know that bonuses from certain policies or theming bonuses might not add to your total until you open the tourism/culture screen (or presumably hit next turn when those get recalculated).

Edit: maybe Tu was referring to the "swap and optimize" button not actually swapping with the AI? I think that's true- you need to manually swap I think.

 

[Dovaj]

Edit: maybe Tu was referring to the "swap and optimize" button not actually swapping with the AI? I think that's true- you need to manually swap I think.

Speaking of that button, mine is gone lately. Do I have a MOD that is messing with the UI maybe?